Meso-scale plasma flow perturbations in the high-latitude ionosphere
Abstract
An investigation of flow perturbations with spatial scale sizes between 100 km and 500 km in the high-latitude ionosphere is presented. These localized flow features are expected to give us new insights into the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling process. In this study, ion drift and particle precipitation measurements from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F17 satellite in 2012 are utilized to identify the meso-scale flow perturbations and the accompanying particle precipitation. The flow perturbation and the accompanying closure flow can be described by a single cell or a two-cell configuration, but the complexity shown in the observed potential distribution suggests that multi-cell flow perturbations and distortions are also present. Energetic electron precipitations is often seen to be collocated with the negative potential cell of the flow perturbations and give us a more complete picture of the energy inputs from the magnetosphere and the effective area over which they are delivered.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMSA41B3486C
- Keywords:
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- 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions;
- IONOSPHEREDE: 2437 Ionospheric dynamics;
- IONOSPHEREDE: 2704 Auroral phenomena;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICSDE: 2788 Magnetic storms and substorms;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS